Hundreds turn out to commemorate 260th anniversary of the Battle of Bushy Run
JEANNETTE, Pa. (KDKA) - This weekend marks the 260th anniversary of the Battle of Bushy Run.
Hundreds of people came to the historic site in Penn Township to learn about the conflict and get a taste of life on the colonial frontier.
On Sunday at the Bushy Run Battlefield, folks traveled 260 years into the past to experience the clash of European and native cultures and the fight for Empire on the American frontier.
All were gathering to commemorate the Battle of Bushy Run.
The battle, which took place in August 1763, was part of the conflict known as Pontiac's War, which saw a loose confederation of Native tribes in and around the Great Lakes region that rebelled against colonial British rule following the French and Indian War.
This battle proved to be a turning point for the British, and today, the battlefield, its museum, and surrounding park work to keep the history of pre-revolutionary America alive with events like this.
"I just love to see the enthusiasm and the dedication that all of these people have, the reenactors, the volunteers. It is great to have everyone set up and to have a living history as it was back then," said Bonnie Ramus, President of the Bushy Run Battlefield Heritage Society.
Of course, the event was not without controversy.
In January of this year, the reenactment was canceled due to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission saying force-on-force displays were disrespectful to the memory of those who died in or were impacted by the battle.
They also put new guidelines in place on non-natives portraying natives during the reenactment.
But the Commission reversed its decision in March, allowing a force-on-force reenactment.
The question of having non-natives do the reenactment as natives is still up in the air for now, but the commission is letting the reenactment go forward.
Leon Sam Briggs is a Historical Reproduction Specialist. He is also a member of the Seneca people.
He says preserving history, good, bad, and ugly, is important, even if that means white reactors are playing natives.
"In teaching history, instead of whitewashing it or getting rid of what happened, good and bad, that's part of history. Unfortunately, [in] a lot of places, they want to get rid of statues and everything else. I say leave the statues, teach what they did," Briggs added. "And it doesn't matter what color you are or where you come from. A lot of time, race-on-race violence is worse than races against races."
If you missed the reenactment, the Bushy Run Park is open all year round, and the visitor center and museum are open through the fall and winter on select dates.
